Hair curler



Nov. 14, 1939. R. M. MOFADDEN HAIR CURLER Filed July 16, 1938 21 111111111.vIIIM IIIIIIIa IIA R055 M McFaddew INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT 01 i 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hair curlers of the type depicted in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,000,893, for "Curling devices, issued May '7, 1935, and No. 2,000,894, for Curlers, issued May 7, 1935.

One of the difficulties in the use of a curler oi the type known as a rapid dry, has been that the jaw member so tightly engages the curling tube that the curl cannot be readily disengaged from the curler tube and jaw, with the result that the curl is ruined or the curl must be completely unwound in order to release the same from the curler. By way of example, it is customary to take the ends of a lock of hair and interpose said ends between the curler tube and the jaw, whereupon the hair is rolled over both said members and then clamped. After the hair has dried on the curler, the clamp which ordinarily holds the curler adjacent the scalp is moved from its curl retaining position and the jaw rotated relative to the tube. However, it is not always possible to move the jaw if the hair has been curled too tightly over the jaw and the tube.

The present invention overcomes all the dimculties aforesaid, and has for an object the provision of a device wherein the curl can be readily released from the curler, the curl being maintained in an intact condition.

Another object is the provision of a dry curler wherein the parts are so constructed that assemblage thereof is simplified.

Another object is the provision of a curler wherein the various component instrumentalities may be maintained in their assembled relationship without incurring loss of parts during use and service.

Other objects of the invention consist of a device which is simple of construction and inexpensive in cost of manufacture.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association, and relative arrangement of parts, members and fea tures, all as shown in a certain embodiment in the accompanying drawing, described generally, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved curler, certain portions thereof being in separated relationship,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal view, partly in section, of the curler, and,

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawing, the curler as an entirety is designated by the numeral i, and the same includes a curler tube 2, a finger type jaw 3, and a locking element designated generally as 4, for holding the hair in position ad- 5 jacent the scalp after a lock has been secured between the jaw and the curler tube, then wound over both said members.

The curler tube 2 may be uniform as to external diameter and provided with a series of 10 through perforations, as shown at 5. In this respect, the jaw 3 which is of the concavo-convex type, may be provided with through perforations 6 extending along the length of the same. This Jaw is provided with two spaced apart lugs i and 15 8, each lug provided with an eye 9. The tube 2 is cut away adjacent the end it and provided with lugs H, both formed with eyes, which eyes are adapted to match .with the eyes 9 of the jaw. The eyes of the tube are positioned above the 20 longitudinal axis of the tube, assuming that the word "above refers to that portion of the tube over which the jaw lies.

The locking element 4 includes a spring wire member having two bowed side members if! and 5 iii, a cross portion Hi joining said side members and forming a continuation thereof, upon which is carried a resilient latching wheel 15 and two inwardly directed end portions it and ii, the end portions passing through the eyes of the jaw 30 and tube (see Figure 3). The end portions in the present instance may or may not overlap and to prevent removal of the end portions where they are received within the confines of the tube, said end portions are flattened, as indicated at 35 [8. Thus, withdrawal of the ends of the locking element is prevented although said ends may move laterally within the tube. This feature is of importance, and it has been found that when a large amount of hair has been wound over the jaw and the locking element brought into position wherein the resilient wheel 52 engages the end of the tube, that the ends of the locking ele ment may move without however releasing the tube and jaw.

A U-shaped leaf spring i9 is interposed between the jaw and the tube in such a position as to normally hold the jaw in juxta-position to the tube, as see Figure 2. The spring itself is prevented from escaping from between said jaw and tube by providing both the jaw and tube with end flanges 2d and El, respectvely.

The operation, uses and advantages of the invention just described are as follows:

The ends of a lock of hair are interposed be- 55 tween the jaw 3 and the surface of the curler tube 2. To do this, the jaw is swung to an open position, as shown in Figure 1, by the fingers grasping the end portions of the tube and jaw and depressing the same against pressure exerted by the leaf spring IS. The ends of the lock of hair may be turned once upon the tube or the jaw may be released so that it may engage the ends of the hair. The clamp 4 is swung away from both the jaw and the tube so that the operator may wind the lock of hair tightly around both the jaw and the tube, as illustrated in Figure 2, the hair being shown in section at 22, and that portion of the hair which is interposed between the jaw and the tube by 23. After a given amount of hair has been wound over both the jaw and tube, the locking element 4 is swung into position so that the latching wheel is received within the opening of the end of the tube 2. If a large amount of hair has been coiled over the jaw and tube, the bowed members 12 and i3 will be expanded outwardly, which will cause movement of the inturned ends l6 and H, but said ends cannot escape from holding the jaw and tube in working relationship due to the fact that the said ends are provided with the flattened portions l3.

Usually thehair is wetted prior to coiling the same about the tube and' jaw. After the hair has dried, it is usual practice to first swing the member 4 downwardly or upwardly, as the case may be, and then slip the curl oif the jaw and tube, the jaw being opened slightly for this purpose. However, if the jaw closely overlies the tube throughout its length, it oftentimes becomes im possible to move the jaw, with the result that the-curl cannot be removed. By'having the hinge portion between the jaw and the tube above the longitudinal axis of the tube, the jaw is progressively separated from the tube from its outermost end to' that portion above its hinge point of the tube. While this spacing does not interfere with the gripping action of the jaw with the hair, yet when it is desired to release the hair from between the jaw and tube, depression of the ends of the jaw and tube will lift the jaw progressively from the tube and those portions of the jaw which would normally lie nearest the tube will be raised, and slightly stretch the curl overlying both the jaw and the tube. This permits a ready release of the curl from the jaw and the tube. If, to the contrary, the inner concave surface of the jaw when the jaw was closed directly overlay the tube and in contact therewith, when the jaw was moved, the jaw would raise progressively from the outer end inwardly. Hence, the outer end of the jaw would be raised more than that portion adjacent the pivot point, and this would not always be sufiicient to release the jaw and tube engagement with a lock of hair, with the result that the curl could not be released. With the present invention, the action is just the opposite. The amount of space desired between the'jaw and the tube is first determined and having determined this spacing, the eyes are formed in the lugs of the jaw and the tube. Hence, this portion of the jaw is spaced from the periphery of the tube and the spacing diminishes toward the outermost end of the jaw. When the jaw is depressed relative to the tube, the outermost end portion will raise until the spacing between the inner concave surface of the jaw is parallel to the curved surface of the curler tube. This arrangement accomplishes certain of the objects of the invention.

As a detail of the manufacture of the device of this character, it may be pointed out that the curling tubes are usually not seamless. In this respect, the present curling tube is easily manufactured by taking a strip of metal, such as aluminum, and rolling it over a form to provide the tube. This construction is such that the end portion E l-which forms the handle to be gripped may be so out as to provide the lug H and likewise a U-shaped part 25, such as shown in Figure 3; This greatly simplifies construction and permits rapid manufacture of devices of this character.

I claim:

1. A hair curler, includinga curler tube, a jaw, the said tube and the said jaw both provided with perforated lugs, the perforations in the lugs of the tube being at one side of the longitudinal axis of the tube, and a locking element comprising a resilient wire member adapted to parallel sides of the tube and provided with inwardly directed ends passed through the perforations of the jaw and curler tube for pivoting said jaw at its rear end in spaced relation to said tube and for holding the jaw and curler tube in position of assemblage.

2. A hair curler, including a curler tube,, a jaw, the saidtube and the said jaw both provided with perforated lugs, the perforations in the lugs of the tube being at one sided of the longitudinal axis of the tube, a locking element comprising a resilient wire member adapted to parallel sides of the tube and provided with inwardly directed ends passed through the perforations of the jaw and curler tube for pivoting said jaw at its rear end in spaced-relation to saihd tube and for holding the jaw and curler tube in position of assemblage, and said inwardly directed ends formed With enlaregd heads topermit outward movement of said ends but to engage the tube to prevent disassemblage of the jaw, tube and locking element.

3. A hair curler, including a curler tube, a jaw, means for pivoting said jaw at its rear end in spaced relation to said tube, and a locking element comprising a U-shaped wire member, with its ends bent inwardly to form the pivots of said jaw pivoting means, and a wheel on the forward end of said locking element for engaging the forward end of said tube and holding said wire member with its side arms extending longitudinally and outside of said tube.

ROSS M. MCFADDEN. 

